diff --git a/src/AutoBuild.jl b/src/AutoBuild.jl
index 77e736a28..31e51e0ff 100644
--- a/src/AutoBuild.jl
+++ b/src/AutoBuild.jl
@@ -755,8 +755,8 @@ function autobuild(dir::AbstractString,
     end
 
     # If the user passed in a src_version with a build number, bail out
-    if src_version.build != ()
-        error("Will not build with a `src_version` that has a build number already specified!")
+    if any(!isempty, (src_version.prerelease, src_version.build))
+        error("Will not build with a `src_version` that does not have the format `major.minor.patch`!  Do not set prerelease or build numbers.")
     end
 
     # We must prepare our sources.  Download them, hash them, etc...
diff --git a/test/building.jl b/test/building.jl
index 904a4916b..497ab342b 100644
--- a/test/building.jl
+++ b/test/building.jl
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ end
             )
         end
 
-        # Test that manually specifying a build number in our src_version is an error()
+        # Test that manually specifying prerelease or build number in our src_version is an error()
         @test_throws ErrorException autobuild(
             build_path,
             "badopenssl",
@@ -302,6 +302,16 @@ end
             Product[],
             Dependency[],
         )
+        @test_throws ErrorException autobuild(
+            build_path,
+            "test",
+            v"1.2.3-4",
+            GitSource[],
+            "true",
+            [HostPlatform()],
+            Product[],
+            Dependency[],
+        )
     end
 
     @test_throws ErrorException build_tarballs(String[], "", v"1.0", GitSource[], "", supported_platforms(; experimental=true), LibraryProduct[], Dependency[])